Weaved of Shadows and Flesh
by anaklusmos1
Summary: LesNiriall story. That's Leslie, Irial, and Niall. I don't want to give too much away, but it's set a few years after the last book, Darkest Mercy. Our favourite trio are finally content, but Leslie wants more. Will she get what she desires?
1. The Shadow Girl's Wish

**The Shadow Girl's Wish**

**Author's Note: This is my first Wicked Lovely **_**prose**_**, so bare with me. I have started a series of poems, named **_**'Sorrows and Silver Linings'.**_** This is different. Forgive me, for this chapter is very short for my usual works. I tend to go for about 2,000 words, maybe 1500 on average. I just thought this one didn't need to be long. Really I'm surprised no one has tried to write a story like this. Please read and REVIEW! :) I'll try and update soon.**

**Mon-3rd-Sept-2012: I've edited this slightly to make Leslie's voice younger, as pointed out by StylingEquinox**

"My Shadow Girl" Irial whispered, caressing Leslie cheek.

"Irial" They were alone in the living quarters. _Room, _he reminded himself. The Dark King was busy at an important meeting. Irial was not entirely sure how important, but he didn't particularly care at this moment. They had been watching a romance movie that Leslie had rented but Irial was done pretending. He kissed her softly, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"Why don't we take this upstairs?"

"I don't know. I could do with seeing Ryan Reynolds topless again"

"You're not serious?" Leslie only smiled back. Irial decided to lift her up, into his arms. If she would not come willingly, he would have to simply make her. As expected, she had no objections whatsoever. He carried her to his room, and laid her on the bed. She kissed him longingly and lovingly. It was like there was a fire within him, waiting to be quenched. She was the first to pull away.

"There is something I want to talk to you about" She said, her face a mask.

"Can it wait?" He brushed his lips on her neck. She tightened her fingers into his hair, groaning in pleasure.

"No" She said, firmly. "It can't"

Irial looked at her face to face, only holding her hand enquiringly. She took a deep breath and finally announced:

"I want to have a child. That is to say, I think _we _should have a child." Irial's brows shot up. Years had passed since the war that had resulted in the death of Bananach, the faery that was once Discord, once War. A time of reasonable peace had befallen Huntsdale… until the new Discord had changed that. He was not at extreme as his predecessor had been. He caused enough discord to feed his court and help to keep the other courts in line. Irial, his King, and his Shadow girl had finally come to a sort of normality and he feared a child might ruin the balance they had worked so hard to create.

"I am not sure that is a good idea, my love"

"Why not? Other women have children. Don't you think that a child would complete our family?"

"Leslie, I have you, I have Niall and I have my court. I have all the family need."

"But you're good with children. I've seen you with the Halflings. Are you afraid you won't make a good father?" Irial had to think carefully on how to express his feelings without lying. The truth was, he had thought of children before. They held a certain charm. Born pure and innocent, they were to grow and learn, to thrive and to hopefully succeed in life. He had decided to wait at least another century.

"I am not sure I would be able to give our child all that we can. I am Discord, Niall is the Dark King, and you have a career."

Having finished her education at college, Leslie became a a therapist. She loved to help others and she found that having broken herself at one point helped her to understand her patients better. She did not need a job for the money. The Dark Court was not lacking in wealth. Then of course, there was the need for separation once in a while. Irial had always admired Leslie's strength, but even she had limits. To be with both Discord and the Dark King could take its toll, and so to have a career meant she could concentrate on other things, and had a distance from them sometimes. They were no longer addictive to mortals, but Irial had always known that he was not healthy for her. _Niall may perhaps be a better fit for her,_ he thought. But she loved them both, and for that he was thankful.

"So I will make time for them. Your job as Discord, and Niall's job as the Dark King is important. I don't need a career."

"But you love your job."

"So perhaps mothering could be my new career" she shrugged. "Or I could go part-time instead." She was being entirely reasonable, as usual, but he was still unsure whether a child was a possibility. Niall's opinion would be a big factor. But would he truly deny her wishes? They were both as stubborn as each other.

"Have you told Niall of this?"

"No. I thought it would be easier to ask each of you separately."

"Right. If he and I were in agreement with us having a child, how do you suppose we even get you pregnant? You have not been so far, and faeries rarely have children."

"So, the faery that cheated Death does not even know how to impregnate his lover."

"I did not say that…" Irial leaned in to kiss her again. This time she did not stop him. And so they had a night of heated passion.


	2. The Oracle

**Author's Note: Here is my update. Just don't get spoilt, and don't expect one everyday, or every week. I have a busy life and several other fanfics. Thank you ShadowsClaw, and ****StylingEquinox**** for reviewing! Here is the reaction from Niall that you asked for, Styling. Hope you aren't disappointed if it's not what you expected. Please read and REVIEW!**

**Mon-3rd-Sept-2012: I have updated this chapter with some minor tweaks. **

The Oracle

_"Aah!" Leslie screamed._

_"Calm down" Niall said._

_"Don't you dare try to tell me to calm down" She squeezed his hand tightly, and he twisted his face in pain. They were at the nearest hospital, a mile from Huntsdale. It would not be long until she began crowning. Niall hoped that Irial would be here before that. With the assistance of the nurse, they did breathing exercises together._

_"Sir, we are going to have to aske you to leave" There seemed to be a scene outside the room. Niall excused himself to see what the problem was, and of course it was none other than Irial. One of the nurses was trying to get him to leave and looked far from amused._

_"It's alright, he's with us." Niall explained._

_"I'm sorry sir, only one family member allowed whilst she's giving birth."_

_"I'm the father!" Irial fumed._

_"I though he was the father of the child," the nurse said._

_"Niall!" Leslie screamed. "Irial! Get in here you bastards! You did this to me!" Irial sidestepped past the nurse and finally entered the birthing room._

_When at last the baby began to crown, the Dark Kings witnessed a great feat of single-minded determination in Leslie. At last, the moment came and new life entered the world. Whilst Irial had been the most sceptical, he was completely enamoured by the sight. This was his child._

_"You did it Leslie" Niall congratulated her._

_"No. We did." She held their hand firmly at either side of the bed._

_"Alright, well done. The next one will be coming soon." The nurse said. Usually a doctor would be here, but the hospital was surprisingly busy today._

_"Next one?" Niall queried._

_"Next one?" Leslie parroted._

_"We only ordered one," Irial commented._

_"Well there is a second. Didn't the doctor say?" Truth be told, they had avoided modern technology up until this point. They were afraid it may harm the baby and had only relented at the last minute, knowing that they were closer to conventional methods, at a hospital._

_"It's coming" The doctor said. Irial stuck his head at Leslie's other end, as if not truly believing the doctor. He fainted at the sight._

_Irial stepped out of nowhere, another one. This almost baffled Niall, but then he remembered that their dreams were intertwined. This was truly Irial, at least his in conscious._

_"And since when was I so squeamish?" Discord asked, walking towards his passed out double. He kneeled down to admire it, and then it disappeared._

_"How very narcissistic of you, Irial" Discord smiled at the Dark King, and then rose._

_"Perhaps you could get rid of this… illusion so we may speak?" Niall nodded and everything vanished. They were now in a replica of Niall's bedroom. The Dark King slumped on his bed. _To dream of sleeping_, he thought to himself. With Irial around, he had better things to do. The other faery joined him on the bed, turning to face him._

_"So are you opposed to Leslie's wishes?"_

_"Not entirely. But I am not sure. And where do you stand?"_

_"I think it may be good for us. For us all."_

_"And is this possible?" He was playing with Irial's hair now. "Could she have a child by either of us? She thinks she is infertile."_

_"I know of a way. It could work."_

_"And if it did not? I do not understand why she yearns for this."_

_"She says she sees others, other women with children and it fills her with longing."_

_"So we can get her to look after one of the Halflings. She could treat them as her own."_

_"I do not think that it would be the same for her. I imagine she wants a child in which she could see each one of us in; Someone she could indefinitely claim as her own." Niall sighed and withheld his hand. Irial clasped it in his own. "Surely you cannot blame her for this._

_"No, I understand. I would not want to deprive her of this. I should perhaps admit that I have dwelt on this subject from time to time myself." Irial laughed softly._

_"I am sure you would make a great father."_

_"As would you." Niall kissed him softly and smiled to himself._

_"What?"_

_"I was just thinking. A child with two fathers and a mother." Niall mused._

_"All the more love to go around."_

_"Indeed." And so the Dark King ripped Irial's shirt open, pulling him in for a kiss, whilst all the while their sleeping bodies were in the arms of other women. Neither had promised monogamy after all. Not that that was possible when both had two loves._

* * *

><p>When both arose, they knew that Leslie would already be gone. They arranged breakfast and had their dose of coffee. Not essential, but routine.<p>

"We should go soon." Irial said.

"Exactly where are we going Iri?"

"In due time, love" Irial could taste his frustration and annoyance but he simply sighed instead.

"Why do you like to make things difficult?"

"It amuses me, I suppose, to agitate you"

"Just finish your breakfast" He plastered a smile. Niall did not press the matter, and he allowed himself to be led to one of the steeds, who transformed itself into a car. He waited a good hour into the journey until he could wait no longer.

"Irial, I can be patient for only so long. Where are you taking us?"

"To an oracle."

"I thought you said you knew how to do this."

"I know _how_, but there is an… ingredient I know not how to find.

"There will be a price to this knowledge. How much are you willing to give up to find out?"

"As much as I can, so long as it does not harm you or Leslie."

Faeries often liked to live in rural areas, close to nature. This particular oracle was no different. Irial and his king walked through the woods for some time, until they came across a cave.

"I take it that you have been here before" Niall muttered.

"I had expected that she may have moved, but I can sense her. She gives off quite a distinct… aura"

"Would she take our entering her home as intrusion?"

"No, she allows visitors." Irial stepped into the cave, and the Dark King followed him cautiously. It was dark and dank, as to be expected. A small fire burned timidly, but that was the only indication of anyone living there. "I'm sure she will be back." They waited momentarily, and surely enough footsteps eventually echoed. The figure stopped to assess them, and then walked on. Her figure was tall and slender, and too fragile looking to be able to hold so much firewood. But she was a fey and she was stronger than she appeared.

"Irial. It has been quite some time." She chirped.

"Three or four centuries I think."

"Three hundred and forty eight, but who is counting?" She set the firewood down and added it to the fire. "Hello, Niall. So what brings the two of you here?" She sat by her fire, and invited them closer. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if in concentration. Her body swayed as if in time to music only she could hear. "A baby?" She exclaimed. "The last faery who… well, it did not end well, but I am sure your future could be different." This did not reassure Niall but kept his silence.

"We would like to know…" Irial started

"How to retrieve a soul," she interrupted.

"A soul?" Niall repeated. "We spoke nothing of this."

"But of course the child needs a soul if Leslie is to give it life." The oracle stated. "In any case, I thought you wanted to give it a choice. To be faery, or to be mortal."

"Why would we want a mortal?" Niall asked. "We would outlive the child."

"This matters not. Neither of you can create life with Leslie. Not without a soul, at least. You must retrieve one, and to do so, you must know how." Niall could not believe what Irial had hidden from him. Would he have agreed if he had been told the truth earlier? Perhaps not. This would be dangerous. "This will come with a price, as I am sure you must know."

"Name your price." Irial said.

"First I must know if you intend to ask me to weave the child into her."

"No, I can do that myself. Bananach created Devlin with Sorcha at the beginning of Faerie. I am Discord now."

"The child must be woven in Faerie. But fine. I ask, in return for this knowledge, for happiness."

"Happiness?" Niall inquired.

"She means the emotion. Long ago, she betted off the ability to feel all emotion. One by one, she has taken it from others. And what was your last?"

"Hate. Since then, it has been a pleasure to get revenge on those that have done me wrong." Her smile was faery cruel, the glint in her eyes were enhance by the reflection of the firelight.

"Happiness cannot surely be an option." Niall argued. "Perhaps jealousy, rage, sadness?"

"I have no need of negative emotions."

"But we do. Without rage, we cannot truly be Dark Faeries."

"I can see you will not comply. What about you, Irial? Discord has no need for happiness."

"But the role of Discord is not my sole purpose. I am lover to the Dark King, and to my Shadow Girl."

"Well I am afraid you are on your own then. I wish only for happiness at present."

Niall stood to leave.

"Wait. I'll do it. I shall give her my emotion of happiness."

"Irial, do not be absurd. We want this child so that we may be happy. If you cannot sense that happiness then we have lost more than we have gained."

"And we would have failed Leslie."

"There must be another way. Please do not do this."

"I am sorry."

"No. As your king, I command that you do not trade your happiness." It had been quite a number of years since Irial had pledged fealty to Niall. Having become Discord, his role had changed somewhat. He did not feel as subservient, and Niall no longer had as much need to keep him in check. It was his job to cause trouble from time to time after all, so long as he was not excessive. They had not spoken of this pledge for a long time, as a result, but Irial had not forgotten. He had kept the fealty in fear that he may one day become what Bananach had become. He did not want to obey his king at this moment but to go against his command without attempting to console him could prove disastrous. He wanted what was best for all three of them, after all. And perhaps they could at least look for other options.

"Yes, my king." He said, gritting his teeth, with his tone as even as possible.

"Well it's clear who wears the pants in this relationship," The oracle said.

"Glad to see you at least have a sense of humour," Niall replied. "We should go."

"Come back if you change your mind!" The oracle yelled after them.

"I doubt it," the Dark King muttered.

**Author's Note: Yeah, I know. The Dark King is a party pooper. But I think he has a point. Can you imagine Irial, without the capability to feel happiness? *Shivers. **

**As if he wasn't scary enough.**


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